My phone began buzzing sporadically the night of April 29 with several texts sharing the news that Chicago Cubs’ Craig Counsell had toasted his 900th career managerial victory in San Diego with Chicago’s infamous spirit, Jeppson’s Malört.
How about that? Malört, the pungent drink once confined to the most infamous dives, had now surfaced at a Major League Baseball game. Sure, it was at a Cubs game, where the staff might already be familiar with its bouquet, but is this yet another sign that Malört has jumped the shark? Now, I’ll pick my words carefully as a White Sox fan who will be accused of being bitter, even though I’ve sampled plenty of Malört over the years. Malört was an underdog, and despite the Lovable Loser propaganda manufactured from the Friendly Confines, nothing spells underdog like the Sox, an underdog team in its own hometown. Malört was once the drink for those dark horses, but the tides have changed.